Sean Leonard of ‘underwater chainsaw’ fame, Lisnaskea Enterprise Centre’s newest tenant
AN episode of RTE’s ‘Dragon’s Den’ last year showed how a gallant bid for funding by Sean Leonard for his ‘underwater chainsaw’ was rejected out of hand.
Sean (65), a retired tool maker from Belturbet recently moved into Unit 14 at Lisnaskea Enterprise Centre with his son, Gordon, a cabinet maker.
Despite that knock-back, the chainsaw is still selling, and, in fact, is currently used by the South African Navy.
As a master tool maker, he can take a piece of steel and fashion it into the required shape, thereby saving firms time in ordering parts and waiting till they arrive. A skill he practised for 11 years in Quinn Glass until his retirement in 2010.
In his time there, he made testing gauges for the bottles as well as doing maintenance work.
Last week, Sean spoke about his art, and his run-in with the ‘dragons’.
“What happened was one of the ‘dragons’, Gavin Duffy, said it seemed a good idea, but that, at the end of the day, seeing is believing’.
“He wanted a live demonstration. Initially, I made a request to RTE to demonstrate the saw, but the problem was ‘Dragon’s Den’ is upstairs, so it’s very difficult to get a power source, and the producer was afraid it would interfere with the sound.
“I then suggested they show a three-minute video, but, for whatever reason, that was turned down. That was why we got nailed.”
But, the publicity did help. Having worked on the hydrasaw for several years (’we had nothing to go on other than just an idea’) he had succeeded in producing a prototype.
And, when he arrived at major agricultural shows, like Tullamore and the Irish ploughing championships, to promote his chainsaw, he was already known.
“Gavin Duffy was quite right in what he said, and I have to accept that 100 per cent. It was disappointing from that point of view, but anyhow it was an experience and we got a number of sales out of it.”
Among them an interesting contract with the South African Navy whose frogmen currently use his ‘underwater’ chainsaw to clear obstructions.
From his Lisnaskea unit, Sean will be stocking home-made chainsaw accessory parts, guide bars, sprockets, etc.
In time, he intends partitioning the unit so that his son, Gordon can carry on his bespoke cabinet making on one end, and his father in another.
And, there will be a reception/sales area.
Creative Creations (NI) Ltd can be contacted through the Donn Carragh Hotel number, at 028 677 21206.
The hotel owner, Daniel Leonard, is Sean’s son.
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